Alex did not look back to see Mira's expression. He walked forward with measured steps, his posture relaxed and his breathing steady, as though he already belonged among the predators who dominated this place. The calmness he displayed was deliberate.
In a battlefield governed by instinct and suspicion, composure often conveyed more confidence than any overt display of power. The gathering ahead of him consisted of five individuals who radiated quiet authority, and even from a distance their presence created a subtle pressure in the air.
The five members of the Inner Circle noticed him long before he reached them. Their conversation faded naturally, not because they were surprised, but because they had already begun assessing him.
